My last post about the new reality of shipping both storage hardware AND storage “files” (VMware virtual storage appliances) is a starting point for various conversations. I find replication to be one of the more interesting technologies to examine in the context of private clouds.
As a developer, I can build storage software and ship it as either a piece of hardware or as a file. A “file” can be “deployed as a storage system” in one of the flexible private cloud environments that Chuck keeps talking about.
This file, when “booted” in a vStorage operating environment, could in theory represent a Symmetrix, a CLARiiON, a Centera, or a Celerra.
And, if you’ve been following Chad’s posts on the subject, you’ll notice that Celerra VSAs fully support replication to each other.
The replication possibilities with private clouds are numerous. Let’s step through some of them.
Existing Data Center Into The Private Cloud
A customer can deploy a private cloud as a disaster recovery option. This may be a starting point for “trying” the concept of private clouds. Indeed, this option may be the first chance for IT to learn about the flexibility and capabilities of a private cloud infrastructure. For example, if they own a Symmetrix (as a piece of hardware), and buy a second Symmetrix (as a “file” or VSA) for the private cloud, they can set up SRDF links that replicate from the primary Symm to the private cloud.
Of course, replication can be used for migration purposes as well. Consider a CLARiiON configuration where MirrorView is used to replicate all data from CLARiiON hardware into a CLARiiON VSA deployment. The hardware can be retired (think lease rollover) as applications become balanced on top of the CLARiiON data now held within a private cloud.
From Private Cloud
If an IT department were to build a new private cloud within their company, replication to traditional hardware is an attractive option. Why? Because private clouds are new paradigms. Replicating to familiar and traditional data center technology provides confidence in the face of cutting one’s teeth on new private cloud technologies and configurations.
Replicating from one private cloud to another can be done within one IT organization. I am more interested, however, in the establishment of replication links to a private cloud at a different company (perhaps a cloud storage provider). This configuration may be the first opportunity for IT to “yield” part of their role to an external provider. If the experience is a good one, the IT department may VMotion their entire data center to the external company and get out of the IT business. If the experience is a bad one, they can continue to own and fully operate their own private clouds.
All of the above hints at flexibility in the initial deployments of a private cloud. I believe that existing replication technlogies will play a key role in this deployment.
Once deployed, private clouds will enable new replication paradigms. More on that in a future post.
Steve
